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Batman (1966 Movie)
* Supporting Characters: * * * * * Villains: * * * * * * * Other Characters: * Locations: * :* :* :* Items: * * * * Vehicles: * * * | Plot = When Batman and Robin get a tip that Commodore Schmidlapp is in danger aboard his yacht, they launch a rescue mission using the Batcopter. After a tangle with an exploding shark, Batman and Robin head back to Commissioner Gordon's office where, through deduction and wisdom, they figure out that the tip was a set-up by four of the most powerful villains ever: The Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler and the Catwoman, who have joined forces to defeat the Dynamic Duo once and for all. Armed with a dehydrator that can turn humans into dust, a Navy surplus submarine, and their three pirate henchmen (Bluebeard, Morgan and Quetch), the "fearsome foursome" intends to take over the world, and Batman and Robin must stop them. Catwoman romantically lures Bruce Wayne into a trap, unaware that Wayne is Batman's alter-ego, and Penguin even schemes his way into the Batcave, leaving the Duo unable to prevent the kidnapping of the dehydrated United World Security Council. After giving chase in the Batboat, the Caped Crusader and Boy Wonder use a sonic charge weapon to disable Penguin's submarine and bring it to the surface, where a grand fistfight ensues. Although the powdered members of the dehydrated Council are mixed together -- which would normally spell their doom -- Batman constructs an elaborate filter to return each of them to life. Prior to this process, Robin asks Batman if it might not be in the world's best interests, with continued problems of overt racism, especially in the U.S. during the 1960s, for them to alter the dust samples so that humans can no longer harm one another. In response, Batman says that they cannot do so and can only hope for people, in general, to learn to live together peacefully on their own. However, in the final scene, Robin's wishes are ironically fulfilled when the Security Council is improperly re-hydrated. While all of the members are alive and well, continuing to squabble among themselves and totally oblivious of their surroundings, each of them now speaks a completely different language than their original native tongue. As the world looks on in disbelief at this development, Batman and Robin quietly climb out of the United World Headquarters to an uncertain future. Batman's final words express his sincere hope that this "mixing of minds" does more good than it does harm. | Cast = Character Actor Batman/Bruce Wayne Adam West Robin/Dick Grayson Burt Ward The Joker Cesar Romero Catwoman Lee Meriwether Penguin Burgess Meredith Riddler Frank Gorshin Commissioner Gordon Neil Hamilton Chief O'Hara Stafford Repp Alfred Alan Napier Commodore Schmidlapp Reginald Denny Harriet Cooper Madge Blake Bluebeard Gil Perkins Morgan Dick Crockett Quetch George Sawaya | Notes = * First full-length theatrical production of the Batman franchise. * The Batman movie is a spin-off of the live-action 1966 Batman television series. Aside from featuring similar characters, it does not have anything in common with later Batman films. * Running time 105 minutes. * Theatrically released in the United States on July 30th, 1966. * Budget: $1,377,800. | CustomSection1 = Recommended Media | CustomText1 = | Trivia = *Julie Newmar, who played Catwoman in the TV series, was unable to return to her role due to other commitments. The part was thus recast with Lee Meriwether. *The Batcopter and Batboat were created for the movie, and it was hoped these vehicles could be used in the TV series afterward. However, in the event, the footage of the Batcopter and and Batboat that appeared in the TV series was simply taken from the movie and edited into the episodes where required. *During the Bat-fight sequence on the deck of the Penguin's submarine, a stuntman (playing one of the pirates) nearly drowned when he slipped off the side of the submarine and cracked his head on the bottom of the shallow water tank used in the scene, knocking himself unconscious. It wasn't until shooting of the scene had ended that it was realized that he was missing, then a quick rescue operation had to be mounted by fellow stuntmen. | Links = * Batman entry at Wikipedia * Batman entry at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) * Batman: Yesterday, Today and Beyond }} Category:Movies 1966 Category:Leslie H. Martinson/Director Category:Lorenzo Semple, Jr./Writer